Mr Brightside
by adelaidejoy
Summary: When Annabeth transferred to Goode Academy and met Tyler Jackson, she thought that she'd never seen a better guy. That was until she met his brother, Percy. Who will she choose? High School AU, Percabeth Cover image by viria
1. Going Away to College

**I do not own Percy Jackson nor any lyrics written in this fic. **

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_Annabeth_

_**I haven't been this scared in a long time  
And I'm so unprepared so here's your valentine  
Bouquet of clumsy words, a simple melody  
This world's an ugly place, but you're so beautiful to me**_

"Annabeth," My father had said. He was looking at his hands, which were being clasped by my stepmother's long spindly fingers. "We think it's time that you moved out,"

"What?" I was stunned. "You want me to move out? I'm only sixteen!"

"You'll be going to boarding school," My stepmother declared.

"I haven't done anything wrong!" I really hadn't. I'd been getting good grades and generally being a perfect student! Why were they sending me away?

"I know you haven't Annie but-" My father began but she cut him off.

"Your father is starting a new family with me now. And you will need to move on," She snapped. "I would send you to your mother's but we don't know where she is. So you'll be attending Goode Academy in New York. Your flight leaves tomorrow morning,"

I had begged my father to not make me go but he just looked at his feet and let that bitch force me out. Eventually I found myself standing in my new home; A stuffy room at Goode Academy.

I had to share my dorm room with three other girls apparently. We each got a small desk next to our beds and a small cupboard for all our stuff. The other girls weren't here though; everybody was at the library or out enjoying the sun. When I'd finished unpacking my bag I looked at the dusty clock on the wall. It was time for dinner. I didn't have an appetite so I changed into my pyjamas and tried to get some sleep before my first day of classes at this hell hole.

When I woke up, I could hear girls fussing around in the corridors of the dormitory. I looked up at the clock. Shit. I had a half hour until breakfast. My room was empty again but the beds looked messed up. My roommates had slept here and left again already. I quickly stripped off, threw a towel around my body and ran to the bathrooms with my things. Luckily, because I was late, everyone had already had their showers. There were a lot of girls applying makeup in front of the mirror though. When I walked in, every single one of them stared at me. I tried to look straight ahead.

I tucked my hair into a bun to keep it out of the water and let it rush over my body. I realised with a frown that I wouldn't be able to sing in the shower anymore. They would probably be able to hear it all throughout the dorm if I did. I quickly washed myself and splashed some water on my face while trying to keep my hair dry. When I was done, most of the girls were finished except one who was still rimming her eyes with layers of dark kohl liner. Much more than was allowed according to the rules pamphlet. I got changed quickly into the uniform. It was a white, short-sleeved, button-up shirt and a red, plaid skirt with a matching red tie. I joined the girl at the mirror to put on my makeup.

"Hey!" The girl exclaimed, "You're the girl who was asleep in our spare bed last night!" She smiled.

I nodded awkwardly, "Yeah, I'm Annabeth," I smiled, "I just transferred here from San Francisco,"

"Thalia," The girl grinned. I went back to applying my foundation as Thalia hummed loudly, running the pencil over her waterline.

Her uniform was customised slightly. Well a little more than slightly. Her skirt was hemmed to mid-thigh whereas mine came to just above the knee. The sleeves on her blouse were folded up to her shoulders, showing off her muscular arms. Her shoes were big black doc marten boots which were not the regulation chunky leather loafers that I wore. She wore ripped sheer tights under her skirt and a chain around a neck that had 5 metal spikes hanging off it like shark teeth. So yeah she intimidated me.

Thalia and I sat together at breakfast with a larger group of girls. She introduced me to the other two girls in our room, Piper and Hazel. Piper was dating Jason Grace, captain of the school's football team. Thalia was dating Luke Castellan and Hazel was dating Frank Zhang. They were also on the team. The football team took excursions a lot to go play other boarding schools. These girls seemed nice enough. I hoped that I'd make friends with them.

My first class was Geography. When I got to the classroom I was the only one there except for a buff looking chick with light brown hair who was lounging on a seat in the back row. I acknowledged her with a nod as I came in and took a seat at the front of the class. A couple more students entered the classroom. That's when I felt the first ball hit my head. I turned around to see the girl ripping pages from a text book and balling them up. She threw another. It hit me square in the face. I clenched my fists and turned back to the front, practically shaking. Who did she think she was!? I'd never done anything to her! I put up with the balls hitting my head until a boy walked in and saw what was going on.

"Clarisse," He groaned, "Do I have to tell you off every day?" Clarisse rolled her eyes and knocked the rest of the paper balls off her desk. What!? How did this boy, with a crisp white shirt, shining black shoes and perfectly neat hair, intimidate Clarisse enough for her to stop? The boy smiled at me and sat down in the seat next to mine.

"I hope she wasn't giving you too hard of a time," He smiled. I took a good look at him. He had dark hair and sea green eyes that's you could get lost in. He had sharp features and an alright body. He taller than me but not by too much. He was actually really cute. I smiled back.

"Nah, it was fine," I offered my hand to him; "I'm Annabeth by the way. Annabeth Chase"

He took it with a grin. "I'm Tyler," He said. "Tyler Jackson,"

"Pleased to meet you Annabeth. Where've you come from?" He inquired.

"I just moved from San Francisco," I answered.

He still hadn't let go of my hand. But I liked him holding it. And when the teacher finally entered the classroom and he let it fall, I was disappointed.

The teacher, Mrs Dodds droned on about some field trip we would be going on soon and gave us each a thick stack of papers which were the questions we would have to answer on the trip. Then she gave us the rest of the lesson to read through the booklet and look up anything we didn't understand.

"Are you excited for this trip?" I asked Tyler.

"Yeah I've been looking forward to it, apparently it's really good. My older brother did it last year. Well… he didn't actually do the work but the views were cool," Tyler shrugged.

"How old is your brother?"

"He's eighteen. I'm seventeen," Tyler said, flicking through the booklet.

"I'm turning seventeen in less than two weeks," I remarked, trying to keep the conversation going.

"I only turned seventeen last month," Tyler looked away from the booklet. "Have you made many friends yet?" He asked.

"A few girls in my dorm I think," I said, "And you I guess,"

That made him grin.

"Are you in the football team?" I opened the booklet to the same page as Tyler so that the Mrs Dodds might think we were discussing questions or something.

"Yeah, why?" Tyler asked.

"My friend's boyfriends are in it too. Frank, Luke and Justin,"

"Do you mean Jason?" Tyler chuckled.

"Uh yeah, probably," I laughed.

"They're good guys. Especially Frank. That guy was made to play," Tyler explained.

"That's good to know. They seem like cool girls," I said.

"Yeah they sometimes watch the practices. I like them more than the cheerleaders. They get so annoying," He groaned.

"I thought all guys were into the cheerleaders?" I feigned shock, "Has every high school movie ever lied to me?" Tyler laughed out loud which earned us a stern look from Mrs Dodds. I tried for an innocent smile. I didn't want to get on any teacher's bad sides.

"They're hot, don't get me wrong," He laughed, "It's just the constant 'BE AGGRESSIVE! B-E AGGRESSIVE!'" He put on a mocking high pitched girly voice. It was my turn to laugh now.

"So you do think they're hot, thank goodness," I pretended to wipe sweat off my forehead, "I was starting to think my whole life had been a lie,"

"Well they're not as hot as some other girls," Tyler smirked. "You, for one, are much hotter than the hottest cheerleader at this school, maybe at any school I've visited for a game,"

I knew I was blushing. I could feel my face getting hot. _I don't fucking know how to accept compliments!_ I was struggling for what to respond to that with. Eventually I decided on the clichéd 'dumb blonde giggle'.

Pulled it off without a hitch. Tyler looked proud of his game. We talked through the booklet for the rest of the lesson with Tyler flirting occasionally. I gave my secret high five. It was my first day of classes and I'd already met a cute boy who seemed into me.

Maybe I'd enjoy it here.

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**Give me a review if you want to see this story continue! 3 Next chapter will be longer and we will be meeting Percy... **


	2. Bad Reputation

**A/N: I really enjoyed writing this chapter! Thanks for all your kind reviews! Now y'all kind find out what Percy is gonna be like in this story ;)**

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_Percy_

_**I don't give a damn 'bout my bad reputation  
You're living in the past, it's a new generation  
And I only feel good when I got no pain  
And that's how I'm gonna stay**_

I slammed the door behind me as I Ieft the classroom. _Nice one, Jackson_, I said to myself. _In trouble again. _I took my time walking to the Principal's office, going along the very round-about route. I might get off easy. He has a bit of a soft spot for me, being my mom's husband and all. He tries to be a father figure but it's a bit hard for him seeing as he has to be constantly punishing me for misbehaving.

I contemplated not going. I could just go back to my dorm and kick back for the rest of the lesson but Mrs White has probably already notified his receptionist that I'm on my way. I pushed open the door and stepped into the room. Ms Morgan glared at me sourly through the tops of her glasses.

"Hey Doris," I gave her my best smile.

"Jackson, Mr Blofis is ready to see you," She grumbled.

"Thanks, darling" I walked into Paul's office.

"Percy," He sighed when I slumped into the chair opposite his desk.

"What's up?" I smirked.

"I was hoping you could tell me," He said. "Mrs White says that you were being inappropriate in her class,"

"It wasn't even that bad, Paul," I pulled out a stick of gum from my bag and popped it into my mouth. Paul gritted his teeth.

"Now remember in a school situation, I'm Mr Blofis, not Paul. This is what we decided with your mother," He stated. "Speaking of your mother, I'm not sure she would be happy to hear that you were," He read something on his computer screen, "'feeling up' Miss Dare in the back row of a classroom!"

I guess that was kind of bad. But I have done far worse before. Besides, it was Rachel's idea, she should be copping the blame for it.

"This is a respectable co-ed Academy and we will not tolerate such inappropriate behaviour at our school." Blah Blah Blah. I wasn't really listening.

"Percy your mother and I are concerned," Here comes the attempt at being my dad. "The school had no choice but to force you to repeat junior year. The deal was that you re-take the year, get your grades up and stay in line,"

"See Paul, the point of a deal is that both sides get something out of it. What am I getting from this again?"

"How about not dropping out of school? How about having a future?" He raised his voice. "We're only a quarter of the way through the year and you've already done enough to merit expulsion! The only reason you're still allowed to attend is because I can pull a few strings here and there. I can't keep doing it though,"

I rolled my eyes at him. I really did not give a single shit about my grades or finishing school. That wasn't what I was going to dedicate my time to. I didn't know what I was going to do with my life but it sure as hell wouldn't involve whatever Mrs White was teaching us about the digestive system of turtles.

"One hour of detention after school Percy," Paul started writing up a detention slip.

"I have practice after school…" I mentioned.

"Then one hour of detention after dinner,"

"But I-,"

"That's enough. You know I'll have to tell your mother about this," Paul murmured. "She's going to be very disappointed in you Percy,"

"Of course you're going to tell her," I spat. Paul probably goes home each day and tells her every detail of what I had been up to.

He said I could leave. "Percy," He called after me as I was going. "Fix your uniform," I looked down at myself. Guys at Goode had to wear a white short sleeved button up shirt with a pair of grey slacks and a red tie. My slacks were old and frayed and my tie was loose. The top two buttons on my shirt were open. "And those shoes aren't regulation," Instead of the clunky dress shoes we were supposed to wear, I wore my favourite pair of black combat boots.

I walked out the door as Paul went back to his computer.

"You're not to return to Mrs White's class today Jackson," Ms Morgan said.

"Anything for you, Doris," I gave her a wink, and strode out into the corridor.

_oOo_

For the last 10 minutes of the lesson I waited outside the classroom for Rachel. When the bell rang she came out and hit me in the shoulder.

"What was that for?!" I rubbed my shoulder.

"You left me alone in science, Percy! Do you not know how boring it is?" She groaned.

"You're the one who should have been in detention," I grabbed her hands and held them at my waist so she wouldn't hit me again.

"I meant do it under the table," She smirked, "You just weren't subtle enough," She wrenched free of my grasp and walked away, her red curls bouncing as she went. They were pulled back with a black headscarf. I caught up to her, accidentally knocking over a freshman who was in my way.

"What do you have?" I asked her.

"English," She replied. "You?"

"I've got a free," I smiled. "Skip English and hang out with me," I said.

"No, Percy. Unlike you, I would not be okay with repeating a year of school," She teased.

"You did repeat though," I noted. She was the same age as I was.

"Yeah, in third grade,"

"You are the biggest goody two shoes I've ever met, Rachel," I groaned. That was a lie. Rachel was nearly as bad as I was most of the time. I was just trying to get under her skin.

"Me?" She laughed, "What about your brother?"

Tyler _was_ the biggest goody two shoes I'd ever met. He was an embarrassment to the reputation I've built here. And now I was in the same grade as him.

"Seriously, Percy, I would die if I had to spend an extra year in this hell hole," Rachel grimaced.

I started thinking about what Paul had said about having a future.

"Rachel, what do you want to do when you graduate?" I asked her.

"I dunno," She shrugged, tossing her curls. "Maybe I'll paint. Maybe I'll open a tattoo parlour. Maybe I'll join a band," She smiled. Rachel was like me in that sense. Neither of us knew what we were going to do and we weren't worried about it. That's the only way to live in my eyes, if you keep stressing about the future then you won't have any fun in the present.

"See you at break, Percy," Rachel grinned and stepped into her English classroom.

_oOo_

I wandered around the grounds until I finally found Jason sprawled out along one of the benches in the garden. Jason was on the football team with me. In fact he was the captain. That's how we became friends. Jason's a great guy and all but if we weren't on the team together I probably would never have even tried to talk to him. He's hardly ever in trouble because he looks like the stereotypical 'good guy' from every high school movie you've ever seen. Just not the ones where the outcast underdogs are the good guys. Those movies suck.

"Jason," I called out to him. He sat up with a start as if he'd been asleep.

"What's up Percy?" He said rubbing his eyes. He must have been asleep. _This guy deserves an award for being able to doze off anywhere and everywhere. _

"Practice is after school right?" I wanted to check I'd scheduled in my detention correctly.

"Yeah for two hours. We've got an away game coming up," Jason confirmed.

"Who are we playing?" I asked. We were a pretty good team. There were only a few teams we lose to. They were Saint Matthew's, East High and…

"Cooper," Jason groaned. _Damn_. Cooper High's team was undefeated. "In four weeks. Hang on a second," Jason whipped out his phone and checked it. "Oh and Saint Rose's is coming here in two weeks," Jason was a little unorganised sometimes.

Saint Rose's students were predominantly girls so their guys' football team was made up of the only guys they had. Their girls' team was a complete other story. They kicked ass. Rachel was on the girls' football team for Goode and whenever they played Saint Rose they lost.

"So an easy win?" I grinned.

Jason nodded and laughed. "Have you seen the new girl in our grade?" He asked.

I didn't know there was a new girl. It's a little odd to change schools a quarter of the way into the school year.

"Nah, is she hot?"

"I haven't seen her either but your brother thinks she is," Jason smirked.

"My brother?" I laughed. "Well I don't think I'm going to be into the same sorts of girls as Tyler,"

"That's true," Jason chuckled. "I was talking to him in between periods. She's in his geography class,"

"Well maybe Tyler can finally get some with this chick," My brother was sort of popular I guess. He'd had a fair amount of girlfriends but I'm sure that they've never actually gone all the way.

"Good luck to him," Jason said. "I think she's in Piper's dorm room," Piper McLean was Jason's hot girlfriend. She was gorgeous. I would never try to steal his girl, she wasn't really my type, but I could sure as hell appreciate how hot she was and how she always tried to hide it with uneven haircuts and clothes that were a size too big. She eased up on hiding it once she got with Jason though. I guess he really helped out her confidence or something.

"I'll see you at practice, man," I said and went back to my dorm to try and get some study done.

_oOo_

I sat down at my desk in the empty room and pulled out the assignment that I was supposed to have finished last week. I spread it out on the desk and stared at it.

_Come on Jackson,_ I tried to encourage myself, _you can do this, it's just an essay. _

After staring at the paper for a good ten minutes and chewing my pencil until ended in a wet stump, I got up, turned on the exhaust fan in the bathroom and took out a cigarette. I had to make sure the entire dorm was empty before I lit it. I leaned up against the sinks and took a long drag. I had turned on one of the showers so that the steam would stop the room from smelling too bad.

I opened one of the frosted glass windows and peered outside. I was on the second floor bathroom and from here I could see the smaller garden. There was a girl walking across the grass that I'd never seen before. This must be the new chick Jason was talking about. She was pretty hot. Tyler would be doing well if he got with her, I might even give him a congratulations. She looked like one of those girls who were good at everything. She was about average height, with curly blonde hair and the body of a sports model. I could tell even though the view was mostly obstructed by the armful of textbooks she was carrying.

I let out a low appreciative whistle. She wasn't my type at all, just like I expected. Definitely more of a girl for Tyler. That's why I was confused as to why my heart was beating at a thousand times a minute and my palms were sweating and my chest hurt when the her hair caught the sunlight.

_Really Jackson? This girl?_


	3. White Nights

**A/N: Phew long update this time! I really want to start getting to the juicy stuff so this chapter is a lot longer than the last couple. Thank you for the kind reviews once again! I really appreciate them.**

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_Annabeth_

_**Has it been a day or a week?  
As my eyes begin to close  
I am walking in my sleep  
Living in a state in-between  
Do the signs begin to show  
See the eyes fare in the dark  
As they glow**_

_**These dreams under my pillow**_  
_**In the twilight of these white nights**_

My first day of classes flew past. Before I knew it I was sitting in the bleachers watching the boys' football team train. Piper, Hazel and Thalia invited me to come with them. They usually watched their boyfriends train and since I told them about my new friend Tyler at lunch break, who is also on the team, they thought it would be fun for me to tag along. Hazel was sitting on the bench above Piper, braiding her hair. Thalia was sitting with one leg stretched out along the bench, drawing in a sketchbook with a black pencil. I looked over her shoulder and saw it was a sketch of Luke, catching a football in mid-air.

"Luke, this is Annabeth, she's new," Thalia had said to him when we arrived at the field.

"Hey Annabeth," He smiled.

"I'm Frank," A cute Chinese guy had said.

"And this is Jason," Piper smiled as a tall blonde boy approached us. She reached up and kissed him on the cheek.

"Hi," I had said, shaking hands and smiling.

I saw Tyler coming over to where we stood on the side of the field. He came up and hugged me which took me by surprise as we had only met that morning.

I didn't want him to let go of me. But he did.

"You've met?" Frank asked.

"Yeah Annabeth's in my geography class," He grinned at me. "You're going to be my partner on the study excursion right?"

That was also surprising. But I found myself nodding.

"So you like Tyler right?" Piper turned her head towards me.

"Don't move!" Hazel said, pulling on her hair to bring her back to facing the front.

"Sorry," Piper laughed.

"Tyler's super into you," Hazel remarked. Even I, with my less than superb social skills, could tell that much.

"I'm into him too," I admitted.

Thalia smirked over her drawing. She was skilled that's for sure. "You two should go out this weekend,"

"What's this weekend?" I asked.

"It's an outing weekend. Every second week we can go out if we want," Piper explained.

I wasn't so sure about that. I just met this guy; I don't think I would be comfortable being alone with him. Just because it might get awkward, not because I'm afraid of him.

"Speaking of which, are you guys going out?" Hazel asked Piper and Thalia.

"I don't know. Jason hasn't said anything," Piper said, frowning.

"We should do a group date," Thalia announced.

"Oooh, Tyler can take Annabeth so they don't have to be alone on their first date," Piper proposed. That would be less awkward.

"That sounds like fun," I said with a smile. These girls had already accepted me as a friend and invited me out. _Well I guess Tyler has to invite me out. _I wasn't really sure how these things worked as I'd never had a boyfriend before. I felt so inexperienced. _What if he tries to kiss me? What if I'm a bad kisser? Do I even want to kiss him? I think I do._

This was all so confusing.

"I'll talk to Jason," Thalia said. "He can suggest it to Tyler,"

"Is that how it works?" I asked.

They all looked at me, even Piper whose head was pulled back into place by Hazel who was almost finished braiding an intricate pattern around Piper's head with her choppy brown hair.

Hazel giggled. "Annabeth, it works however you want it to!"

I managed a smile. I felt stupid. The only things I know about relationships are things I've learnt from TV shows and movies. And that was probably not what happened in real life.

"You're nervous," Thalia said, moving towards me on the silver bench. "He's into you, okay? You're a pretty girl you can do this," Then she jumped up and jogged down the stairs of the stand and waited on the side of the field. Jason came up to her and put his ear to her lips. She told him about the group date idea I guess and he nodded. With a sour look in the direction of the cheerleaders, she came back to us.

"What was that about?" I questioned, gesturing towards the group of practising cheerleaders.

They all groaned.

"What?" I must have been missing something.

"The cheer squad," Hazel began, "don't like us very much,"

"Okay… why?"

"For one, we're dating three of the best players on the team," Piper glared in their direction.

"Soon to be four," Thalia winked at me.

"And of course there's the fact they are the bitchiest girls at the school," Piper said.

"All of them?"

"Not all of them," Hazel corrected. "Some of them are nice girls,"

"It's just the ones that are in Drew's clique," Thalia pointed to a beautiful girl who was obviously the captain of the squad. Her long black hair was pulled up in a high ponytail and she appeared to stand taller than all the other girls.

Apparently it was one of those rivalries that went so far back it didn't even need legitimate reason. They just hated each other. Like Romeo and Juliet without the tragic romance.

_oOo_

Just as Thalia had promised, Tyler caught me as we were leaving the field to go to dinner to invite me out.

"Hey, Annabeth, we were thinking about going to the city this weekend and I uh," He was stammering a little, running his hand through his hair nervously. I knew what he was trying to ask and I couldn't help smiling because it was making him this tense. I thought maybe I could make him chill out a bit if I took his hand. He smiled at me and took a deep breath, "I was wondering if you might want to come with me?" He finished

"Like a date?" Just checking. I'd seen too many movies in which a girl had gone along expecting a date but it turned out they were going as friends.

"Yeah, like a date," He looked right into my eyes and I felt my cheeks go red. His eyes were a gorgeous sea green that I couldn't stop staring at. It was hypnotising. I smiled and his cheeks went as red as mine were. Then I heard the whooping.

I turned to see Piper and Jason catcalling at us and laughing. I dropped my gaze and Tyler's hand. Tyler looked embarrassed.

"Sorry about them," He stuttered as we walked towards the hall.

"It's okay," I laughed. It was a little bit funny. I was going to kill Piper later though. At dinner I sat with Tyler, Piper, Hazel, Frank, Jason, Thalia, Luke and a boy called Leo. And to my surprise, I wasn't completely awkward. I felt kind of comfortable. Which was much better than what I had expected to happen; that I wouldn't make any friends until at least a month into my time here.

They all accepted me easily and involved me in their conversations. Even Leo, who I hadn't met before, included me in his jokes. One thing that stood out about Leo was that he made _a lot_ of jokes, most of them exceptionally bad.

It was a good thing the meal was a spiced pumpkin soup because I only had one free hand.

My other hand was holding Tyler's under the table.

_oOo_

The weekend came too quickly. My whole first week had rushed past like a train! By Friday I was up to speed in every class and I had made at least one friend in each. My breaks from classes were spent studying, hanging out with my new friends and flirting with Tyler.

On Saturday morning, Thalia woke me up by jumping onto my bed and shaking me. She told me we were going to have breakfast in the city.

"Thalia," I had been worrying about this all week, "I don't have anything to wear,"

"I know, I went through your wardrobe," She grinned.

After we had raided through Thalia's, Hazel's and Piper's wardrobes, she had finally decided on an outfit for me. It was a pale floral skirt with a peach pink blouse. She passed me some light brown ankle boots with a dangerous looking heel. I took my hair out of its ponytail and ran a brush through it a couple of times. Once I had put on a little makeup I took a step back and stared at myself in the mirror. I looked good. I twirled and the skirt swirled around me. I just hoped that I wouldn't trip in these shoes.

Thalia was driving us in her crappy black five seater car. Tyler and Luke were going in Tyler's car which I hadn't seen and Jason and Frank were taking Jason's two-seater. There was a student carpark at the back of the campus were we could store our cars if we had them. I couldn't even drive yet.

"We're meeting up with the guys at 5," Thalia announced as we drove out of the school gates.

5 o'clock? "Then why are we leaving so early?" I asked, a little confused.

"Because, Annabeth darling, we are taking you shopping," Oh no. I didn't have enough money to go on a shopping spree. I was about to tell them I couldn't afford it when Piper spoke up as if she could read my mind.

"Don't worry about cash," She flashed a small plastic card. Piper's father is Tristan McLean the film star. Of course she had money.

"But I can't let you spend your money on me!" I protested but she simply shook her head.

"I'm not going to spend it, and my dad sure as hell isn't going to spend it. May as well go to a good cause, like clothes for Annabeth, instead of going straight to Jane's pay check," She grimaced. Jane was her father's 'evil' assistant.

Eventually I agreed to the idea of shopping. We stopped at a café to grab some breakfast then we hit the stores. There were so many huge boutiques and my friends all knew exactly where to go to get the best clothes.

You know in movies when they have those quirky montages in which everyone is trying on clothes and coming out of the change rooms seven times a minute? They don't show you how awkward it is to try and get changed quickly in such small rooms. At least most of the clothes the girls had picked out for me were loose and flowing. Excluding a couple of tight pencil skirts and some very fitted dresses which; to be fair, made my hips look amazing.

By 4:30 we had filled up the boot of Thalia's car with bags full of skirts and dresses, camisoles and blouses, shorts and jeans, sweaters and cardigans, coats and jackets, stockings, socks and shoes. We had gotten a little carried away.

We made our way to where we were meeting our dates which turned out to be a bowling alley. I nearly groaned at how cliché it was. I wish I had worn pants instead of a skirt. Then I remembered the boot full of clothing. I pulled out a pair of dark blue coloured jeans and a loose, white, short sleeved shirt with horizontal navy stripes. I got changed in the bathroom outside the alley which was more compact than the change rooms.

When I came out, the girls were waiting for me.

I pretended to strut like a model on a catwalk, showing off my new clothes

Hazel laughed and Thalia wolf whistled. I laughed and did a little twirl.

"Whoa," came a voice right behind me I jumped and spun around but, being the competent person I am, stumbled over my heels and right into Tyler. He caught me by the waist and pushed my gently back into a standing position.

"Thanks," I giggled, "You startled me,"

"You look beautiful, Annabeth," Tyler said. My lips parted when I smiled, I couldn't help it. Seeing as I'd never received any attention from guys before, it was nice to have someone who thinks you're beautiful.

Then again, _he could just be lying to get into my pants,_ which also happens a lot in the movies.

"Do you really think so?" I asked, blushing. He nodded, took my hand and led me inside.

The alley was brightly lit and full of people. I was aware of the stupid smile that was on my face as we walked to the counter. We got our shoes and went to our lanes. Frank and Hazel were with Piper and Jason on one lane. Thalia and Luke were with Tyler and I on the adjacent lane.

"So, Tyler," I whispered to him as we were picking out balls. "I've never really bowled before,"

"Never?" He looked very surprised.

"Never," I admitted. "Well actually one of my friends had a bowling party in third grade,"

"Hey it's alright!" He laughed. Tyler helped me choose a ball and each time our hands brushed it was like my stomach was twisting itself into intricate knots.

We started our games. Thalia and Luke were both great bowlers. Tyler got a couple of trikes too. Then there was me.

I practically threw the first ball and it slammed on the lane, rolling into the gutter. I knew that my friends were trying not to laugh at me.

"Well," Tyler had come up to join me, "It wasn't too bad for a first bowl," He gave me a reassuring smile. My next three bowls were equally as bad. I was getting frustrated. When each of my friends took their bowls, I carefully watched their form, the movements they made, where their arms ended up, how they rolled the ball and the way they stood. I could pick up most sports easily so I was just hoping I would knock down one pin by the end of the game.

When it was once again my turn, I stepped up and grabbed my ball. Tyler gave me a 'good luck'. I tried to copy what the others had been doing and let the ball roll swiftly down the lane. To my absolute surprise, I hit seven pins! I turned around and practically squealed in excitement. Thalia and Jason applauded me. Tyler cheered. On my second attempt I hit down two of the remaining three!

My skills improved more and more until, on my last bowl I got a spare and a strike! My friends all gave me a round of applause as I laughed. Tyler came and picked me up by the waist and spun me around. He lowered me down and I slid against him until my feet touched the ground. I stared up at him, a dumb smile on my face.

I still came last out of everyone but I didn't care, I got at least one good shot.

The bowling alley had a small diner attached to it so we stopped to grab some food. Tyler and I got a plate of wedges and two chocolate milkshakes. It was the best greasy, deep-fried meal I'd ever had.

"You did well, Annabeth," Piper joked in between mouthfuls of her burger.

I laughed, "I did actually get a strike so…"

Tyler shook my shoulders in encouragement, "You just wait, Piper. Annabeth's going to be in the championship league soon,"

Piper had gotten the most points out of everyone, then Frank, Thalia, Luke, Tyler, Hazel, Jason and me. Jason wasn't as good at bowling as he was at football apparently, Thalia had said.

"Speaking of football," Frank spoke up, "When's our next training session? We're playing Saint Rose next weekend,"

"Tomorrow morning," Jason answered, "But Percy thinks it will be an easy win, their team hasn't gotten any better,"

"Who's Percy?" I asked. I didn't think I'd met a Percy yet.

"Percy's my brother. He's on the team too. And he's right. Saint Rose sucks," Tyler took a wedge right out of my fingers and popped it into his mouth. I laughed and hit him in the arm.

We finished our food and went out to the cars.

"Let me take you back in my car," Tyler said. I smiled and agreed. Frank jumped into Thalia's car and they drove off. We followed them until we reached an intersection and Tyler turned left as they turned right.

"Ummm I think you went the wrong way," I suggested to Tyler, slightly worried.

Tyler just smiled. "We're taking a little detour, don't freak out,"

We turned into the driveway of a darkened seemingly empty building.

"Why are we stopping here?" I asked as he got out of the car and opened my door for me.

He took my hand and led me toward the door. "Trust me," He smiled and produced a key to unlock the front door. "This is my Dad's place," He closed the door behind me and took me up the stairs. "One of his places actually. He's never here though,"

"The whole building?" It was probably large enough to fit about four spacious apartments inside it.

"Yeah," Tyler scratched the back of his head. His Dad must be pretty loaded.

"And you took me to your Dad's empty place because?" I looked around. None of the lights were on and all of the expensive looking furniture was covered in a thick layer of dust.

"Because I want to show you something. It's this way," He led me to a window and wrenched it open. We climbed out on the fire escape and up the stairs towards the roof of the building. When we reached the roof, Tyler flicked a switch on a cord that was running around the edge of the building. The roof became awash with golden light that came from several ropes of fairy lights. I saw that there was a small garden in one corner with a bench nailed into the ground. Tyler took me towards it and we sat down.

"This is beautiful," I remarked.

"It was my mom's garden before my parents split up," Tyler explained. "When she moved out I thought my dad would just let it wilt and die but I guess he has someone to tend to it. There were green hedges and lush grassy patches of ground ringed by flowers and shrubbery. The bench was wooden and curved to fit to your spine. I leaned back against it and looked out onto the city.

"So do you bring all of your girls up here?" I joked.

"Not all of them," He grinned, "Just the ones I really like,"

I rolled my eyes but I was smiling.

"And sometimes I'll bring a girl around and Percy will already have one here," He laughed.

"That's got to be awkward,"

"It is. But I think mom's taken his key back," He ran his fingers through his hair, "Hopefully it won't happen again,"

"So you're planning on taking more girls up here?" I teased. I really wanted to move closer to him but I didn't know if that would put him off. Who am I kidding? I don't know what the hell I'm doing.

"Maybe I'll take you up here more than once," He smiled.

My stomach was tightening. I took a deep breath and inched closer to him on the bench.

He noticed. Damn. I tried to change the subject to something distracting.

"So, how long until the geography study trip?"

"It's in two weeks," Tyler answered. "I'm looking forward to it,"

"I'll be honest, I haven't really been paying attention during geography," I had been paying too much attention to Tyler in the few lessons I've had so far. "What are we actually doing on the trip?"

"We're going on a hike and we'll have to take some notes and shit," He laughed. "It's a bit of a bludge,"

"And this is in partners?" Tyler had mentioned something about being my partner.

"Yeah," He moved slightly closer to me. "How come you haven't been paying attention in geography? You strike me as the kind of girl who does pay attention in class.

"I kept… getting distracted," I admitted.

"What was distracting you?" His voice was hushed as he leaned closer to me.

"A boy," I breathed.

"Oh really?" He was getting closer, "What's his name?"

Then I did something I thought would be funny. "Jason," I whispered. Tyler jerked away with a look of surprise and confusion plastered on his ridiculously attractive face.

"What?" He spluttered, "I mean, uh cool that's really -,"

"I'm kidding," I laughed, "It's you dumbass," and with a surge of confidence that came from who knows where; I leaned forward and kissed him. Just a quick short kiss. When I pulled away he looked even more confused. I laughed harder and went back for another. Tyler finally regained his composure and kissed me back.

I had no idea what I'd been missing out on. I was breathless. Tyler clearly knew what he was doing and I guess he was good at it because it felt so right. He placed his hands on my hips and pulled me across the bench until I was pressed up against him. I pulled back, to catch a breath. I knew I was smiling widely. When I looked up at him I saw he was too.

I shifted on the bench so that I was kneeling on it, facing him. I wrapped my arms around his neck and kissed him again. I could feel his hands running slowly from hips up to my waist. I moved my hands into his hair to hold him to me.

I gasped and pulled away when Tyler pushed his hands under my shirt onto my bare back.

"I don't think I'm ready for that yet," I stammered awkwardly. Shit. I'd blown it. _Will he still like me?_

He looked concerned and pushed me away gently, "I'm so sorry, was I moving too fast?"

"No! Well, kind of," I admitted.

"I'm really sorry, I just got a bit carried away and I-," I silenced him with another quick kiss. It really was alright. He wasn't going to push me to do something I didn't want to.

The thing was, I _did_ want to. I just knew that I shouldn't.

"It's okay, Tyler," He smiled. Obviously he was still unsure if he's crossed a boundary or something.

"Did you want to head back to campus?" He asked. I nodded and smiled. When we got back in the car I checked my phone.

_Three new messages from Hazel Levesque_

~Where are you guys?~

~Did you get in a car accident or something omg you were right behind us~

~Seriously Annabeth if you do not reply RIGHT NOW I SWEAR~

Woops. I quickly texted her.

~We're on our way now, I'll tell you about it when I get back~

When we arrived, Tyler helped me out of the car and walked me to my dorm, clutching my hand.

"I had a lot of fun today, Tyler," I said when we reached the door.

"I did too," His eyes stood out in the darkness of the night. "Can I count on seeing you at practice tomorrow morning?"

"I'll be there," I assured him.

"Great,"

I reached up and planted a kiss on his lips before I stepped inside.

When I walked into my room, Piper, Hazel and Thalia were waiting for me and they pounced.

"What happened?"

"Where did you go?"

"What did you do?"

I smiled and told them to shut up for two seconds, then I recounted the event that took place on the rooftop.

They squealed when I got to the kiss.

According to them I did the right thing by pulling away when I did. You've got to make them wait for it apparently.

I wondered how long I would have to wait.

**A/N: So What did you think? **

**I promise Annabeth and Percy will meet in the next chapter so all you Percabeth shippers can sleep easy ;)**

**Also if you haven't already guessed, the little song lyrics at the start of every chapter are from the song the chapter is named after. It's usually one of the songs I listened to when writing the chapter or just some inspiration for what happens in it. This chapter's song was White Night's by Oh Land and if you watch Teen Wolf you'll know it played when Scott and Allison ditched school and went on a cute walk in the woods awww.**

**Anywayss...****Give me a review and tell me w****hat you're hoping to see next! **


	4. Change

**Here is the long awaited fourth chapter, I am sorry about the wait. School is getting very busy right now and I want to pass all my classes soo... **

**Anyways, I hope you enjoy! Ready for some Percabeth? **

* * *

_Annabeth_

**_To make you want me I can fabricate the truth  
I'll give you easy it'll keep me destitute  
You hang me up on the line, hang me out to dry  
And you got nothing to lose_**

_**You've got the story all made up inside your head**_  
_**You write me out of it and use your words instead**_  
_**You hold me just out of reach, but you keep me pounding the beat**_  
_**To take all the soul you can get**_

* * *

I woke at seven o'clock on Sunday morning and wasn't tired at all. I had this warm feeling in my chest that I knew was a result of the evening I shared with Tyler yesterday. I knew I had no hope of getting back to sleep and it was no point sitting around the dorm until my friends woke up so I decided to try and get back into a habit that I had in San Francisco. Early morning runs. I used to run almost every day as the sun rose into the sky, before anyone else was awake. I pulled on a tank top and a pair of running shorts that were embarrassingly small. I thought against wearing them as you could almost see my ass but at seven o'clock on a Sunday morning there wasn't going to be anyone around to see. I slid my feet into my shoes and strapped my iPod to my arm with a band that my father had bought me. I thought about leaving a note to let my friends know where I was but I would be back before they got up.

The morning air was chilled as I stepped out of the dorm and started running at a slow pace to warm up. I decided to take this opportunity to explore the forest surrounding the grounds. I ran past the now barren football field and tennis courts to reach the edge of the trees. There were well beaten paths worn into the forest floor that I followed to make sure I didn't get lost. That would be embarrassing, to get lost and be found wandering the forest wearing extremely short shorts and blaring music from my headphones.

I ran for about half an hour before I decided to turn back. My breath was short and the cold air didn't help but it felt great. Usually running cleared my head but all I could think about was Tyler. How he had told me I was beautiful, how he had looked when he grinned after getting a strike, how he his lips felt pressed to mine, how his hands felt pressed to my back.

I focused on taking deep rhythmic breaths to distract myself. When I came here, I did not plan to be kissing boys on rooftops that I'd only known for a week. I did not even dream about it. I honestly had no idea what I was thinking. I fixated my eyes straight ahead as I jogged out from the forest, glad that I hadn't taken the wrong path at any point on my way back. As I passed the tennis court my iPod headphones started to sound odd. As if there was a bit of static in the background. I'd have to replace them. I was approaching the football field, fiddling with the headphone cord to see if it simply wasn't attached properly, when I slammed into him and sent us both tumbling. I pulled the headphones from my ears and looked up at the boy who was pushing himself off the ground.

He was gorgeous. He looked like some ancient Greek God that should have his likeness carved into stone. He offered me a hand and I took it, using him to stand up.

"I'm really sorry," I apologised, "I wasn't watching where I was going,"

"Obviously," He said, gathering up the footballs that had spilled free from the sack that he was carrying. I bent down and helped him collect them. "Are you alright now?" He asked, though I don't think he cared that much.

"Yeah I'm fine," I said straightening up once all the balls were contained.

His eyes widened when he finally took a proper look at me. "You're the new chick," He grinned.

Was that my reputation? Simply, _the new chick_? "Uh, I guess,"

"You guess?" He raised an eyebrow at me.

"I am," I stared right into his eyes. They were a swirling sea green that looked beautiful and familiar at the same time though I wasn't sure where I had seen them before. His hair was a dark, messy, tousled undercut that made him look like he'd just gotten out of bed. Then again, he probably had. It was about eight-fifteen and Annabeth suddenly remembered she was supposed to be watching the football team practice with Piper and Thalia and Hazel.

The boy must have been on the team. As well as the sack of footballs he had slung over his shoulders, there was the fact he was wearing a Goode Academy football jersey and was headed towards the football field.

"Are you going to the practice?" He asked, gesturing towards the field.

"Yeah," I smiled shyly. I knew that I had never ever seen a guy who looked better than he did.

"So am I," He said, and began to walk towards the field. I kept pace with him.

"You know I have a name, I don't go by _the new chick_," I told him.

"Okay," He said, not even looking at me. "What's your name?"

"It's Annabeth,"

"I'm Percy," I thought someone was talking about a Percy yesterday. Was that at lunch? It must have been, I was eating food someone… probably Hazel.

"It's nice to meet you, Percy," I said.

He scoffed. "That's not what I've been told,"

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Well either most of the people I've met are liars, or I'm not a very pleasant person to meet," He hefted the bag of footballs higher onto his shoulder as he walked. "You would belong in the minor group of people I've met who thought the experience was a good one,"

"Maybe they are liars," I suggested.

"Or maybe you're a liar, Annabeth," He smirked at me.

"I try not to lie. It gets messy when you can't remember what you've lied about. Your get your alibies mixed up and your stories start intertwining until nothing you say is believable anymore," I explained.

"Something tells me you've experienced this," He looked at me, puzzled.

"I've been on the receiving end of it," When my father used to tell me about why my mother was not around, he's always tell a slightly different story. When I questioned him about it, he would try to cover it up with more lies and covered those with more and more.

It was like he had weaved a cobweb out of little white lies, but instead of being the spider, proud of his successful creation, he was the fly trapped in the centre, wrapped in layers of crumbling fallacies.

When we got to the field, a boy in a football jersey jogged up and gave me a tight hug.

"Hey!" He grinned and pulled away. I realised it was Tyler.

Tyler. _Shit._ That's where I'd seen Percy's eyes before. On his brother. And I had completely forgotten about him. What was between us anyway? Where we dating now? I had no idea! I needed to see Thalia and my other friends.

"You've met Percy?" Tyler asked me.

"Actually, I kind of knocked him over," I laughed.

"She wasn't looking where she was going," Percy explained.

Tyler laughed. "You'll be alright, Perce," Tyler shoved him in the arm.

Percy gave a grudging smile.

"The girls were wondering where you were!" Tyler told me. Apparently I should have left a note.

"I'd better go tell them,"

Tyler nodded, bent down and kissed me on the forehead. I felt awkward with Percy watching. I was once again aware of how short my pants were. With a small wave at Percy and a smile at Tyler I half-walked, half – jogged over to the bleachers where I could see my friends sitting.

I just _knew_ that both of the Jackson boys were staring at my ass.

_oOo_

"So were where you?" Thalia asked.

"I went for a run," I told them.

"So we were half right," Piper noted.

"What?" I guessed I was missing something.

"We thought you had gone to the gym," Hazel explained.

"Oh," I said. I guess they were half right. But I didn't even know this school had a gym. "Why would you think that?"

"Annabeth, you've got a hot body," They informed me. "We assumed that you must work out,"

Well that was reassuring. I guess.

"So you met Tyler's brother Percy?" Thalia changed the subject.

I nodded, "He seems… nice," I decided.

They all laughed. "Yeah he's a good guy. He may not look it but on the inside he's a goddamn marshmallow," Thalia grinned.

"He's supposed to be a senior but he got held back a year," Hazel remarked.

"Much to Red's delight," Piper winked.

"Wait, who's Red?" I asked.

"Rachel Elizabeth Dare," Thalia said.

"She's Percy's best friend," Piper smiled.

"With benefits," Hazel added.

"Really?" Wasn't '_friends with benefits'_ something that only happened in movies? And it always ended up being between two friends who eventually developed feelings for each other.

"Really," They confirmed.

"I need to ask you about Tyler," I bit my lip. _Would they laugh at me?_

"Shoot," Hazel said leaning forward eagerly.

"So, we kissed," I said.

"We know," Thalia said.

"But does it mean we're like, together now?" I was damn confused.

"Do you want to be together?" Piper asked.

"I don't know. I don't know if I am ready to," I stammered. _I sound so immature!_

"Annabeth, you need to talk to _him_ about this," Hazel smiled. "You can do it,"

I looked down at the field. Training hadn't started yet. The players were milling around on the side of the field as they waited to begin. The cheer squad was practicing a pyramid on the sidelines. Drew stood at the bottom directing the cheerleaders. I gave a small nod to my friends who returned encouraging smiles. With a deep breath, I went back down to the field and called out to Tyler. When he saw me, he jogged over.

"What's up?" He grinned.

"I need to talk to you quickly," I announced.

His face fell just slightly. "Is this about last night?"

"Yeah, sort of," I admitted. "I had a really great time and everything but I just didn't know if you thought that we were…" I trailed off.

"Dating now?" He finished.

I nodded sheepishly. He took my hands and held them out in front of him.

"It's up to you, Annabeth. I had a great time too but I don't want you to feel like you have to be with me because I kissed you," He gave me a reassuring smile.

_I kissed him._ At least that's how I remembered it.

"Just give me some time to work it out," I managed a smile, pleading smile.

"I'll give you all the time you need,"

The Coach finally walked out onto the field and pierced the air with the sound of his whistle, letting the players know it was time to begin.

Tyler kissed me on the forehead and jogged towards the centre of the field.

I walked back up to my friends. So we weren't dating. Yet.

We watched the team train and the cheerleaders cheer. The girls tried to give me some advice but I wasn't really taking any of it in. I kept looking at Tyler's brother. He does look a lot like Tyler. So why did I completely forget Tyler when I saw him?

When practice ended I realised that I hadn't come to a decision. Did I want to be with Tyler?

_oOo_

I saw Percy again on Monday. I had a free lesson in third period and I knew that none of my friends did. I was going to go to the library and catch up on study but I was already done all of my assignments. I went walking through the grounds to try and get used to the area. I had been here for a whole week and I still didn't know where everything was. Sadly, I did get lost. I found myself standing by a small shed like building, surrounded by others that looked exactly the same and I had no idea which way i'd come from.

I tried taking a left turn and then a right and then a left again even though I was fairly sure this was the wrong way. I stumbled through the buildings and tried to find the way out. That's when I saw him slouched against the wall of the sheds, one leg stretched out the other bent with his arm resting on the knee. His other hand held a cigarette that he took a long drag of.

"Percy," I called and approached him. He jumped a little when I said his name.

"Thought you were a teacher," he grinned.

"Just me," I stood across from him and leaned up against the wall behind us.

"Why aren't you with your friends, Annie?" I grimaced at the nickname

"Free period, and it's just Annabeth,"

"Whatever floats your boat"

"What are these?" I knocked on the steel shed I was leaning against.

"They're for storage and shit. But most of them are empty,"

"Why is there so many?" I asked. Why build so many storage sheds if there isn't that much to store?

"Well, before this was a school it was an insane asylum," He said, putting out his cigarette by rubbing it into the dirt. He got up onto his knees to move to my side of the corridor created by the rows of storage sheds. "These sheds," He knocked on the steel next to my head. "This is where they kept the really crazy ones. Apparently, some of them died in here,"

I shifted away as he came closer and closer, my breath short and shallow.

"They say, that at night, if you listen closely, you can still hear their screams,"

I rolled my eyes. "Shut up," I pushed him and he slumped down next to me, laughing.

"Okay maybe not," He smiled at me. "I'll be honest I thought you'd fall for that,"

"You think I'm stupid?" I asked putting my hands on my hips. I'm not stupid.

"You're blonde and pretty," He shrugged. My face fell. _Blonde and pretty. _All my life I've been trying to overcome that dumb blonde stereotype! I sighed and looked at my hands which I had dropped to my lap.

Percy noticed the drop in my mood. "Hey, I'm sorry," I was surprised when he sounded sincere. Percy scared me a little. With his muscular, threatening arms. His dark, unruly hair. His piercing green eyes that seemed to glare right through my skull. When I looked up and met them, they were intense and sincerely concerned. "That was mean," He admitted.

"It's okay," I shrugged it off. "I did fall for it a little bit," I confessed.

"Well that's because it's true," He joked.

"Oh really?" I laughed, hitting him in the side teasingly.

"Really!" He announced but he was grinning too much to be taken seriously.

"Yeah, sure," I said sarcastically.

"You just wait," His voice dropped along with his smile. "It's the women you'll have to watch out for," He inched closer.

"What will they do?!" I said, feigning terror.

"When you're sleeping," He began, with the air of some starting to recite an ancient folk tale. "They'll float into your room, and drain the life out of you," His fingers ghosted over the skin on my arm, now covered in goose bumps. _Why do I have goose bumps? I'm not scared_. "They do this because they are old and wrinkly and pasty. And you're young and bright and beautiful. They take your life so they can be beautiful again," His voice was almost a whisper. "But you're so small, it won't last long. Before you know it they'll be frail and ancient again. And they'll be back to find more innocent young girls to devour," The corners of his mouth twitched up as he sat back, clearly proud of his story telling skills.

I scoffed. "That's not how ghosts work,"

"You think you know more about ghosts than me? I practically invented ghosts!" He boasted, his smug grin gone from his face.

"You definitely invented these ones," I told him. "That's just not how ghosts work,"

"Really?" He asked dryly.

I nodded in confirmation. "It's not how they roll,"

"Tell me that again tomorrow," He teased. "If they haven't gotten to you already,"

"I will," I laughed. I checked the time on my phone and saw that it was almost time for lunch. "So are you gonna show me how to get out of here?" I asked him, gesturing to the maze of storage units.

Percy laughed, "It's this way,"

_oOo_

The rest of my day was super boring. The only highlight was Geography with Tyler after lunch. We had to look over maps of the mountain we would be hiking on and try and memorise the route. Mrs Dodds made a big point of how many students had gotten lost on the trip over the years and that if anyone from her class had to be searched for there would be hell to pay.

After dinner I hung out with my friends for a while before heading to the library to do a couple hours of study. I sat at one of the desks and tried to bury myself in my maths homework. But I kept getting distracted. My mind continued to wander and always stop on the subject of Percy Jackson. _Come on, Annabeth,_ I told myself.

I could not stop thinking about what he said today. About the school being previously used as an insane asylum. And that he thinks I'm pretty. _Pretty enough to merit an attack from jealous ghost women_. I laughed to myself.

That's when the lights flickered in the library. And the walls creaked and the door swung shut. I jumped and looked around. The librarian in the corner looked up at the flickering light bulbs, stood up and left. Probably to go check the electrical connection or something. _I think that's enough study for the day_. I packed up my things and left at a swift walk. It wasn't because I was scared. _ I wasn't scared_. Or at least I told myself that. I walked across the now darkening school grounds trying to keep my breathing steady.

When I was almost at the dorm, something grabbed me. It covered my mouth and dragged me behind the nearest building. I screamed into the thing covering my mouth, dropping my books and thrashing about. It removed the covering and I started crying. Then I looked up at what it was. The breath was taken from my lungs when I saw it.

The 'it' in question, was a hysterically laughing Percy Jackson. I huffed angrily and punched him in the chest. _OW_, this guy's abs must have been rock solid. This made him laugh more.

"What the fuck!?" I screamed at him. "I thought you were…" I stopped myself. I didn't want him to think I believed his dumb story.

"A ghost?" He said with an eerie smile.

"No," I announced stubbornly.

"Yes you did," He said.

"Shut up," I huffed. I was still in shock. I was not going to cry again. "Why did you do that?!"

"I forgot to ask you something earlier," He said.

"What!?"

"Are you with my brother, now or what?" He asked.

"I don't- What?! No, we're just… That's none of your business" I spluttered.

"So, no?" He questioned.

"No," I fumed.

"Great. That's all I wanted to know," He grinned and strode away.

I groaned and leaned my head back against the wall behind me. I had to take a few deep breaths before heading back to my dorms.

I wanted to be angry, but I was smiling

* * *

**Annabeth is pretty confused right now. She doesn't know if she wants Tyler or Percy. The next chapter is already under construction and I promise i've got some Percy AND some Tyler in there ;)**

**Please review and tell me what you think! Constructive reviewers will receive a sneak peek at chapter 5 in their inbox **

**xx thank you for reading xx**


	5. Naive

**So I'm back! I know it has been half of forever since I last updated but I did encounter a few problems: firstly my laptop crashed on me and i lost the document that contained this (completed!) chapter, forcing me to have to rewrite the ENTIRE thing from memory so it is not as good as i wanted it to be, secondly school started getting fairly intense, i had a couple of big essays and projects due every single day of the week and was faced with the problem of having LITERALLY no time to write at all. Lastly my mum decided to take us camping for a week in which i wasn't allowed my laptop or even my phone! ****Basically the whole thing has been a bit topsy turvy.**

**However, I am back now and I am super ready to write more! Also, i know i promised more Tyler in this chapter but i couldn't for the life of me remember that bit and every time i tried to rewrite it wasn't quite right so i cut it out altogether. If you're missing Tyler, tell me in your review!**

**A few reviews to address:**

**_Angie M_ This story is mainly Percabeth centred and I'm only really focusing on Percy and Annabeth as well as the pjo girls and a couple of the boys so there won't be a lot of Leo at all but i can throw him in chapter 6 a little more if you really want! (also im not very good at writing Leo tbh)  
**

**_PhoenixAsh15_ Hopefully you'll see some of Percy's sensitive side in this chapter and trust me he's going to be shedding his 'bad boy' shell fairly soon ;P**

_**That one anon who continues to send reviews in the form of demands**_** please stop. Thanks**

**Thanks everyone for the very kind reviews! As always, i hope you enjoy! **

* * *

_Percy_

**_How could this been done  
By such a smiling sweetheart.  
And your sweet and pretty face  
In such an ugly world  
Something so beautiful.  
That every time I look inside_**

_**I know, she knows that i'm not fond of asking**_  
_**True or false, it may be, well, she's still out to get me.**_  
_**And I know, she knows that I'm not fond of asking**_  
_**True or false, it may be, she's still out to get me**_

I was lying on my bed when the sun rose, already awake, staring up at the ceiling and despite how much I hate to admit it, I was thinking about Annabeth. She was in no way my type. Rachel was more my type except she could be a real bitch sometimes. We weren't even dating. She didn't want to date; we were like friends with benefits. I didn't know really. Girls are confusing.

I didn't know what it was about her. She was just different. Am I really into my brother's girl? That's a dick move on my part. But then again, she said last night that they weren't dating. Last night when I scared her. Which was hilarious at the time but now… it probably wasn't the best idea. Another dick move, Percy. She might have thought I was going to assault her! I hit myself on the forehead. Stupid. Stupid, Jackson. I mean for God's sake she was crying and I laughed at her!

My roommates were all fast asleep. I sighed, got up and dragged myself into the bathrooms. I stripped off and slid into the showers. I let the cool water rush over me as I washed my hair. It was getting pretty shaggy. I was planning on getting it cut on the weekend but I ended up staying in and hanging out with Rachel. I had watched her painting as we sat in the forest. She painted the trees as the sun set on Saturday night. It was an amazing painting.

On Sunday morning, I had football practice, where I met Annabeth for the first time. She had practically slammed into me, actually knocking me off balance. She must be really strong yet she looks so dainty. Except for her eyes. They're grey and cold, and when you look into them, it's like they're challenging you. Like, come on, try me. I could fuck you up. She would probably get back at me for scaring her last night.

Stop thinking about her. I tried to stop. I tried to stop thinking about how she smiled, or how she laughed, or how cute she looked in those jogging shorts…

I shrugged into the uniform, switching out the boring slacks for a pair of black jeans with a few rips in the fabric. I decided to risk it. What was the worst they could do about it?

I tried to do something with my hair but it wasn't cooperating. I pulled on my boots and stalked outside. Nobody else was awake yet and breakfast wasn't starting for another half hour so I went to the garden. I was planning to just sit but then I saw her. Jogging towards the football field in those brilliantly tiny shorts.

"Annabeth!" I called out. She stopped and turned, but when she saw it was me she rolled her eyes and kept going. "Hey! Wait up!" I got up and ran after her. She stopped again and waited for me to catch up.

"If you're here to scare me again then you should just leave," Ah shit

"Look, I'm sorry, it was a dumb thing to do, I get it," I said sincerely but she didn't seem convinced. Her hands were crossed in front of her and her grey eyes were narrowed and frankly, terrifying.

"It was a fucking dumb thing to do," She confirmed. "If you ever do anything like that to me again-"

"You'll kick the shit out of me, I know," She looked like she could.

"You bet I will," She spat.

"Only cause I wouldn't be able to hit back," I noted.

She raised her eyebrows, "Oh really? Why wouldn't you?"

"Because-"

"Because you're a wimp?" She asked.

"Because you're a girl," I finished. She scowled. Shouldn't have said that, Jackson.

"Look Percy, I could have you on the ground in less than a minute even I wanted to," She told me angrily.

"I'll take your word for it," I didn't want her to get mad at me. I came over to apologize!

"Will you? Because if you can't then I would be happy to give you a demonstration," She smirked.

"I'll pass on the demonstration," I peered at her clenched fists. "I'm sorry okay? It was a dick move and I'm sorry," I tried to make it sound as sincere as it actually was. She stared at me in confusion for a split second before opening her mouth to talk again.

"I'll forgive you on one condition," She said.

"What?" What could Annabeth want from me?

"You have to pass the maths test tomorrow," She grinned.

"What?!" I stammered. "Why would you care if I passed my maths test?"

"I don't. But Tyler does. He's worried that you're going to have to repeat again because you're failing everything!" She sighed.

"Ok," I murmured.

"What was that?" She asked, a smile playing on her lips.

"I said, Ok." I admitted. "I'll pass the test,"

Her eyes lit up. "Really? You'll give your best shot?" She was smiling properly now. "Oh! But you can't tell Tyler that I asked you to," She said.

I nodded.

"Good luck!" She called as she turned to continue the rest of her run.

Well shit Percy why did you agree to that? There was no way I would pass this test.

_oOo_

It was the first time is ever paid any attention in this damn class and I had no idea what was going on. I asked the teacher, Ms Reynolds during class, what on earth she was teaching.

"Wait what!?" She said, her eyebrows rose in surprise.

"Could you explain the example on the board?" I repeated.

She burst into laughter

"I'm sorry, but were you actually asking about the curriculum!?" She gasped between laughs.

I nodded with a grim smile.

"Percy Jackson, trying to learn!" She cackled. "Look Jackson," she said, suddenly serious, "you're a couple years too late. If you wanted to learn you should have paid attention. I can't teach you the years of work you've missed,"

I clenched my teeth. The class was silent. I gathered my books and stormed out of the room. I found Rachel sketching in the garden, he hair loose and swinging in the slight breeze.

Rachel was relatively smart. "Rach!" I called. She looked up and smiled.

"Hey Perce," she grinned as I came over, "Aren't you supposed to be in class?"

"Yeah," I said and sat down next to her. "But I need your help with something. I need to pass the maths test,"

She brushed the hair out of her face and I saw her eyebrows were high and her eyes wide.

"What?" She said in a small voice.

I braced myself for the same reaction as Ms Reynolds, although I was hoping for more from my best friend. Then again, it was Rachel.

"I need to pass the maths test," I repeated, trying to keep my tone even.

She laughed but her grin fell once she saw my face and the glum expression on it. "You're serious?" She gaped.

"Yes Rachel, I'm serious. Are you gonna help me or not? Cause if you're not then I'll be leaving" I snapped. She folded her arms across her chest in her typical way, stubborn as all hell. I probably shouldn't have snapped at her.

"No," She huffed.

"No?" I clarified.

"No," She smirked. "Are you going to stand there blocking my light all day?" She gestured to her sketch book. I sighed and slumped to the ground. I crawled towards her and flicked her hair over her shoulder to distract her.

"Raaaaaachel," I whined, "Pleeeeease?" She brushed me off.

"I'm not going to help you," She said. "Maybe if you weren't such a dick all the time I would. _I'm not a dick _all_ the time! She's just stubborn._ "Why are you so determined to pass this test anyway?" She asked, her left eyebrow perked as she stared at me, twirling her pencil in her fingers.

_Because I want to impress Annabeth._ I sighed. I couldn't tell Rachel that. I couldn't tell _anyone_ that. She was Tyler's girl! He'd practically called dibs! Besides, as well as being ashamed of me for wanting my brother's girl, she would laugh in my face. Annabeth was nothing like Rachel, who was like the type of girls I usually go for. "Because I don't want to repeat again," A complete lie. I couldn't care less. If I was forced to repeat again I would simply drop out of school altogether. Rachel didn't seem to see through the lie eyes widened.

"Perce," She smiled. "Are you actually going to start trying?"

"Yeah," I knew I shouldn't lie to Rachel but I had no other choice. Obviously this one tiny lie was going to come back and bite me on the ass. Rachel never lets anything go. She seemed happier now though, she'd always wanted us to graduate together, maybe go to college in the city together too and now that I'm 'trying' it might actually happen. "So you'll help me?"

She paused for a second, pursing her lips as if considering it. "Hmmmm… No," She gave me a sugary grin and went back to her sketch. I groaned and stalked away.

I took the rest of the day off. I hauled up in my room and spread out the maths textbooks in front of me. I took a deep breath and began to read. It didn't take long for me to lose all hope that I would pass the test. I asked my dorm mates, Travis and Connor Stoll for help but neither of them had any idea. They also laughed at the fact that Percy Jackson was finally giving his academics a good try. It was 5:00 when I realised it was futile and there was only one way I could have a chance at passing. I packed my books and walked out. When I reached the building, I took a deep breath before knocking on the door. Clarisse La Rue opened it. She glared at me bitterly. I gave her my best smile.

"What do you want, Jackson?" She grunted.

"Clarisse, why do you resent me so much?" I asked pleasantly. I knew why.

"What. Do. You. Want." Her fists were clenched tightly.

"I'm looking for someone," I told her. "Annabeth Chase. She's new,"

"I know who she is," She narrowed her eyes at me before slamming the door in my face.

"Clarisse!" I called at the closed door. I could hear the sound of her footsteps getting further and further away. "COME ON!" There was no reply. I groaned and kicked the ground. "Don't be a bitch!" I yelled. The door swung open.

"Who's being a bitch?"

"Annabeth!" I stammered. "Hi,"

"Hi," She said carefully, eyeing the stack of books in my arms, "How's the studying going?"

"Uh that was why I came, I was wondering if maybe…" I trailed off. _Come on Jackson_. "If maybe you could…" _Get it together man!_

"If I could…?" Annabeth prompted me.

"If you could help me," _Phew_.

"Help you study?" She asked. I nodded stupidly. "Sure, Percy," She smiled.

"Really?"

"Yeah, come on, we can do it in your room," She said, walking out of the doorway of her dorm and onto the pathway.

"Uh, do what in my room?" I stammered.

"Studying for the maths test, right?" She looked back at me, confused.

"Yeah. Right. It's just, girls aren't supposed to go into the boys dorms, or vice versa," I explained.

"Why, because we'll have sex?" She joked.

"Exactly," I smiled.

"Oh. Well trust me I'm not going to be having sex with you Percy. You've got a test to study for!" She laughed. "Come on, I'll sneak in,"

I walked Annabeth into the dorm and up to the top floor. There were a few unused rooms up there and we chose one to spread out the textbooks and knuckle down in. We got to work straight away. It only took about five minutes of study for Annabeth to realise how far behind I really was.

"We'll probably be missing dinner," She said at one point. "Because you have a long way to go,"

"I know," I said glumly.

"Hey, it's alright!" She said with a reassuring smile. "Let's go back to quadratics. Try question three; it's fairly simple, okay?"

Even though I was struggling a lot she seemed determined to help me. We continued into the night until it was about half an hour past lights out when Annabeth deemed me 'pretty much ready'.

"Really, Annabeth, I can't thank you enough," I told her quietly as I walked her down the stairs.

"It's totally fine, Percy," She smiled. "You do have seaweed for brains, though" She joked. I laughed and opened the front door to the dorm.

She was about to walk away when my stomach rumbled. "Hey!" I called after her. "Are you hungry?"

_oOo_

There's a small window at the back of the kitchen that has been broken for months. I'd never been able to fit through it but Annabeth was just small enough. When we got to the kitchen, I suggested it to her, preparing to give her a boost when she laughed.

"What?" I asked, not understanding what was funny.

"Just pick the lock," She said, "It's easier than squeezing me through the window!"

I scratched the back of my head. "Yeah well… I don't really know how,"

Annabeth looked taken aback. "You, Percy Jackson, don't know how to pick a lock?" I nodded, blushing. "You're considered some kind of a criminal around here and you can't even pick a lock?"

"Well can you?" I teased. To my surprise, she smirked, pulled two bobby pins from her hair and turned to the door. She fiddled with the pins in the handle of the door until the lock popped. With one last smug grin back at me, she swung the door open and strode inside. I followed her with my mouth wide open. There was a lot of food but not much we could prepare without being noticed by any teachers or rule-abiding students. We ended up making a couple of sandwiches each and sitting on the benches to eat them.

"So Annabeth," I said between mouthfuls of peanut butter and jelly. "Why did you move to Goode?"

She sighed and looked down at her feet. I was about to tell her that she didn't have to answer when she took a deep breath and spoke. "My mom left when I was really young. Like newborn young. Anyways, my dad met this one uptight bitch and he's going to start a new family with her," She took a bite of her sandwich and leant back against the wall. "Their new family doesn't include me. So she shipped me off. I don't know if she chose here to punish me or whatever,"

"Do you feel like it's a punishment? Aren't you happy here?" I asked her. She had friends, lots of them actually. Everyone seemed to like her, me included.

"To be honest, I thought I would hate it. But in the short week I've spent here, I've been happier than ever," My heart rose up to my throat, _she's happy_. "Well not 'ever'. Happier than I've been in a long time,"

"You're not home sick?" Annabeth seemed like the type of girl who held family close to her heart. Loyal and protective was in her nature.

"I don't think I've been away long enough to be homesick!" She laughed. "But… I am just a little bit. And I don't think it's actually homesickness. I think it's just sadness. Because I keep thinking that, they don't want me there. My own father doesn't want to see me," Her voice caught and she sounded like she was about to cry. I quickly jumped down from my bench and sat next to her on her bench, putting my arm around her and pulling her closer to me. She seemed grateful for the comfort, pushing herself into my chest. "If I ever went back…" She sobbed, "They probably wouldn't be happy to see me at all!"

"It's okay!" I knew it wasn't but I didn't know what else to say. I just hugged her. After a while, she pulled away and wiped the tears from her eyes.

"I'm sorry. I usually don't cry in front of people. Actually I never cry in front of people," She said, sitting up straight.

"We all cry sometimes, it's not a big deal," I told her, taking her hand. She dropped it.

"Do you?" She asked, her eyebrows raised, showing how red her eyes were.

"Do I what?"

"Do you ever cry?"

I was going to lie. I should have lied. But there was something about those red ringed grey eyes that made me want to tell her the truth about everything that I had ever lied about. "I cried when my parents split up," I admitted. Annabeth re-took my hands. "I told them that it didn't bother me because I didn't think it did. But when I came back home for the holidays, and found that my mom had moved out, I cried. In my room, alone of course,"

"She must have been really special," Annabeth said, with a comforting smile.

"She was. I still see her on the holidays though, now she's with Paul and has a big enough apartment for me to come visit her,"

"Oh yeah! Tyler told me your mom was dating Mr Blofis!" Annabeth laughed.

"They're married now, actually," I explained.

"Gods, what's that like?" She asked.

"He's a good guy actually, but when I get caught doing shit I shouldn't be doing, it's hell. Speaking of which, we should skip out of here before we get caught!" I led Annabeth out of the kitchen, still holding her hand which inadvertently caused me to bump into the stack of pots on one of the benches and send them all crashing to the floor, making a deafening racket.

Annabeth and I exchanged a terrified glance before I looked up to the teacher's building. The front light flickered on. "Shit," Annabeth and I whispered and we ran. Annabeth's dorm was further from the kitchen than the nearest one so I tugged her hand and pulled her behind it, blocking us from the view of the teacher's building and the kitchen. I heard hurried footsteps and the screeching voice of Mrs Dodds piercing the air.

"DAMN IT CHILDREN! I KNOW YOU'RE OUT THERE WHICH MEANS YOU'RE OUT OF BED! IT'S AFTER LIGHTS OUT YOU KNOW!? YOU'RE BREAKING SEVERAL SCHOOL RULES!" My breaths were coming in quick pants from running as I leaned up against the wall of the dorm. "I WILL FIND YOU AND GOD HELP YOU WHEN I DO BECAUSE THIS WILL RESULT IN AN IMMEDIATE SUSPENSION!" Annabeth looked frightened as hell. It dawned on me that she had probably never gotten in trouble before, let alone suspended! She had terror clear in her eyes mixed with something else, was it… excitement? Her breathing was quick and panicky and I knew I had to calm her down otherwise Mrs Dodds would find us easily.

"Shhhh…. Shhhh…." I whispered, crouching down slightly so that I was at her eye level, "She won't find us, shhhhh…." Her breathing slowed. "You'll be fine,"

"I WON'T FORGET THIS!" Mrs Dodds screamed and the sound of her footsteps got quitter as she gave up and walked away. Just as Annabeth burst into a fit of giggles so loud that it could probably be heard in New Zealand. I quickly covered her mouth with my hand and held my breath as well to stop all the noise. It sounded like, from the lack of yelling and hurried footsteps, Mrs Dodds had gone back to bed.

I removed my hand and took a deep breath, still staring down at Annabeth who had a huge grin on her pretty face. It was a really pretty face. To match her pretty personality I guess. Or maybe pretty wasn't a strong enough word. Beautiful? Gorgeous? Goddess-like? I knew I was grinning but my grin fell as I realised that I was, once again, thinking about my brother's girl in a romantic way. Isn't there like a bro code for stuff like this?

Annabeth stopped smiling when I did though, and that's when I thought, _fuck it_. I leant down and kissed her. She didn't move. _What are you doing Jackson?!_ I pulled away quickly when I realised she was not returning the kiss. I took three quick steps back from her with my hands out in front of me as if to say I'm sorry. She was shocked, her mouth was open and her eyes wide, head reeled back as if my actions had literally blown her away.

"I'm so sorry Annabeth, I don't know what I was thinking, I just-…" Her eyebrows furrowed as she slowly closed her mouth and narrowed her eyes. Then she closed the distance between us in two large steps, reached up and pressed her lips to mine. Now it was my turn to be shocked. I broke away again and looked down at her. She was staring up at me with a shy grin on her face.

"Annabeth, I…" I was speechless.

"Shhhh," She whispered and pulled me in again. She was clutching the sides of my face with her hands as I placed mine on her hips. I had to bend down a fair bit to reach her face as she had to lean up on her tip toes to reach mine. I got a firm grip on her hips and lifted her into the air to be level with me. She responded by wrapping her slender legs around my waist. I walked us back towards the wall and pressed her against it gently. It was amazing. I'd been dreaming about it ever since I first bumped into her the day she was jogging in those cute little shorts. Then I'd found she was actually a great person and I wanted her more. Her lips moved nervously and uncertainly, I could tell that she didn't have too much experience in this area.

Her arms were wrapped around my neck when she pulled her head away and leant it back against the wall, as she gasped for air. I moved my mouth from her lips to her jawline, placing quick kisses along her jaw then down her neck. Annabeth pushed her fingers into the hair on the back of my head and brought my lips to hers again. I didn't want to rush her or anything so I kept my hands on her hips, not moving them in case she got the wrong idea. I didn't want to fuck her. _…Well…_ only kind of. Okay, I did want to. But not right now. She might not want to. Maybe she wasn't ready. I realised I didn't know what Annabeth wanted at all. From the way her hands pulled me towards her it was obvious she wanted to kiss me but what did she want long term?

Did she want to date me? Or did she want to date Tyler? She was Tyler's girl before. Is she my girl now? Is she anyone's girl? I pulled away, lowering her to the ground. Her legs touched the ground shakily and she looked up at me, breathless.

"What's wrong?" She whispered, her eyes full of questions.

"Nothing, it's just…" I scrambled for something to say, "I think we're moving a little fast,"

To my confusion, a strange sort of smile spread across Annabeth's face.

"What?" I asked her, wanting to know why she was happy about that.

"You are full of surprises Percy Jackson," She said and with a final kiss on the cheek, she walked silently away, off to her own dorm to sleep.

If there was one thing I knew, it was that I wouldn't get much sleep tonight at all.

* * *

**Tell me what you think? Send me a review if you enjoyed or even if you didn't i guess! All constructive* reviewers will recieve a sneaky preview of chapter 6! Thanks again for reading**

***I count a constructive review as one that gives me some advice on what you direction you think the story should go in, pointing out any mistakes i've made and a bit of critique on what elements of my writing i could improve on! So it's a little more than just typing out, "Update soon!" (although i do appreciate almost every review i get! So those "Update soon"s do warm my heart)**


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